Naomi Osaka caught the attention of the tennis world on Tuesday, but it had little to do with her performance on the court.
The four-time Grand Slam champion caught many off-guard on the Rod Laver Arena when she walked on wearing a veil, a massive hat with a butterfly on it and white flared trousers, whilst carrying a matching umbrella. A look more suited for the runway of a fashion show than walking onto the court of a Grand Slam.
Osaka’s outfit is the work of London-based designer Robert Wun, who worked with the former world No.1 and her clothing sponsor Nike on the design. The inspiration originated from Osaka’s daughter, Skai, who got ‘excited’ when she looked at a jellyfish. An animal she describes as both elegant and powerful.
“When I look back at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments—those looks—have become memories that live forever,” Osaka said during an interview with Vogue, which was published at the same time she played her match. “So much of the time, other people get to write our stories for us. This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”
Elaborating further, Wun also took inspiration from a butterfly that landed on Osaka’s face during a match at the Australian Open five years ago. It was agreed that the look would be created based on both exoskeletal creatures.
On court, Osaka kicked off her latest Grand Slam campaign with a gut-busting 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 late-night win over Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, who was celebrating her 23rd birthday. Throughout the roller-coaster clash, there were plenty of twists and baseline rallies with the 16th seed firing a total of 34 winners. In the final set, Osaka battled back from a break down twice before closing the match out after almost two-and-a-half hours with a clean backhand down the line.
“It’s honestly one of my favourite tournaments and just to start the year off (at the Australian Open) it makes me very happy,” Osaka said after her latest win.
“I served pretty well and she’s an amazing player. I’ve never played her before, so I hope to not see her on the other side of the net (again). But if I do, I’m pretty sure we’re going to keep playing some really good matches.”
Speaking about her walk-on outfit, Osaka confirmed she designed it herself, with Wun being the person who brought it to life.
“I’m just so grateful that I get to be able to do the things that I love,” she said of designing her outfit.
“It’s really beautiful, and shout out to Robert for doing this for me. “
Osaka will play Sorana Cirstea in the second round.
